I just had a pool put in my backyard...the concrete was poured and only cured for 24 hours before the subcontractors came and walked on the surface.....now, there are bootmarks throughout the deck all around the pool. These are not indentations...but, just bootmarks on the surface..like stains. Will these bootmarks go away...the sub claims it will after a couple of months.....anybody know?
Concrete question
- Thread starter Wilson
- Start date
Wilson, I have been in the concrete business for twenty years, and the stains will "NOT" disappear within a month. I have been guilty of doing this a few times, even when I was trying to be extra careful. I did a stamped patio for a friend of mine last spring, and the day after I poured it, the landscaper came in a ran his wheelbarrow across it two times with clay on the tires, and we never could get it off. The concrete is more porous during the initial curing process, and absorbs things like dirt that will affect the appearance. It will get better over time after the sun has hit it, but to say it will totally disappear w/i a month is a flat out lie. Don't let him try and power wash it to soon, as new(green) concrete can be pitted by the power washer. The only thing that might be in your favor is if he put a curing compound on the newly finished concrete, thus providing a coating over the top so the clay may not penetrate through to the top of the concrete, but it will still more than likely leave a stain. Like I said, it will get better once it sees some sun and rain, but don't try anything for a while until the concrete has had time to cure or you will end up doing more damage to the finish.
If you want, I can call the company we get all of our chemicals from and see what they reccomend. I'm sure they have run across this issue before. A cleaner I have used in the past was one that was made from orange peels, and from what I remember, it worked pretty good.
Let me know if you have any more questions.
If you want, I can call the company we get all of our chemicals from and see what they reccomend. I'm sure they have run across this issue before. A cleaner I have used in the past was one that was made from orange peels, and from what I remember, it worked pretty good.
Let me know if you have any more questions.
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What were the climate conditions at the time the concrete was curing such as temperature and humidity?
Provided it was not freezing or raining, 24 hours should have been sufficient time for the concrete to cure. There are many other factors that affect concrete such as the water/cement ratio, type of cement, aggregate, etc.
When water and cement (ingredients in concrete) first come into contact, the mix water occupies space around the cement grains. As the cement and water react with each other, microscopic crystals begin to form that reach out and link the cement grains together, causing strength and other mechanical properties to develop over time. As these crystals grow, they also fill-in the spaces between the cement grains, causing the cement paste to become more dense, less porous, and less permeable.
The bootprints that you refer to may be only stains in the upper surface of the concrete paste which will not actually bond with the slab and will eventually slough off. If there are indeed no indentations in the slab itself, it is possible that these "stains" will wear off.
Try taking a stiff broom with water and gently scrub the areas in question. The result should give a good indication of whether or not these marks are permanent.
It is likely that your pool was poured (or sprayed) with gunite instead of concrete. If this is the case, the surface is more suceptible to early damage and may require another coat of gunite.
Provided it was not freezing or raining, 24 hours should have been sufficient time for the concrete to cure. There are many other factors that affect concrete such as the water/cement ratio, type of cement, aggregate, etc.
When water and cement (ingredients in concrete) first come into contact, the mix water occupies space around the cement grains. As the cement and water react with each other, microscopic crystals begin to form that reach out and link the cement grains together, causing strength and other mechanical properties to develop over time. As these crystals grow, they also fill-in the spaces between the cement grains, causing the cement paste to become more dense, less porous, and less permeable.
The bootprints that you refer to may be only stains in the upper surface of the concrete paste which will not actually bond with the slab and will eventually slough off. If there are indeed no indentations in the slab itself, it is possible that these "stains" will wear off.
Try taking a stiff broom with water and gently scrub the areas in question. The result should give a good indication of whether or not these marks are permanent.
It is likely that your pool was poured (or sprayed) with gunite instead of concrete. If this is the case, the surface is more suceptible to early damage and may require another coat of gunite.
Captain Crunch said:
Thanks Crunch.....Man, it looks horrible now..its been a week and there must be a thousand footprints....of course they are expecting payment and i told them I wasn't happy with it and wasn't paying until we came to a resolution....Being the wiseguy that I am.....I said I guess that is why they invent sledgehammers
Would sanding it make it better....I just don't want a pool deck that will look like footprints in tthe sand every time it gets wet.
The Judge said:
I appreciate the suggestion...It was more like 12 hours...they poured and wand broom brushed at about 6 in the evening...they were back at 7:30 in the morning....removing the forms for the cantliver sp....which is screwed up too. The owner was jacked that these guys were back walking on the surface so quickly.....I guess these stains are really not my problem because I haven't paid them yet....but, I want to be fair with him...I just want it looking the way it should when it is turned over to me.
:scaredWilson said:Thanks Crunch.....Man, it looks horrible now..its been a week and there must be a thousand footprints....of course they are expecting payment and i told them I wasn't happy with it and wasn't paying until we came to a resolution....Being the wiseguy that I am.....I said I guess that is why they invent sledgehammers
My advice right now is to do nothing, as like I stated before, there is a high likely hood you will do more damage at this point. You have every reason to be pissed off, and a definite reduction in price from the flatwork contractor should be made. Give him every oppurtunity to make it right, but who wants to look at foot prints all over their new pool deck. I don't think taking the sledgehammer to it will be the best approach. If you don't pay him at all, your just asking for big mess. Tell him you will pay 50% now, and 50% when the footprints are gone, or some type of arrangement you two can work out, but he needs to do something to try and make it right. I'm assuming you are having a pool company do this for you, and sometimes the concrete finishers work for said company, and other times they are a sub for the pool company. Either way, the superintindent for the pool company should make it right. IMO, the responsibility lies with the pool company to remove the stains, whether they do it or not. Its not like they poured the concrete in a creek bed where nobody will ever see.
As the judge suggested, you might try and get a soft bristle brush and some mild soapy water, and scrub on one of the stains to see what happens, just for your own knowledge. Like I said in the previous post, don't get in a big hurry with harsh chemicals or power washers, or you will end up pitting the concrete and it will look worse than it already does.
As the judge suggested, you might try and get a soft bristle brush and some mild soapy water, and scrub on one of the stains to see what happens, just for your own knowledge. Like I said in the previous post, don't get in a big hurry with harsh chemicals or power washers, or you will end up pitting the concrete and it will look worse than it already does.
Thanks again Crunch...yea, they are a sub of the pool company...he is giving me the guilt trip that the concrete guy will not do any more work for him until he is paid for the work he did for me.
I hate to have this guy in a bind..so, I will probably offer to pay half...but, my only concern is that if i do that...they may never come back and then I have to live with it forever. OR pay somebody else to fix it, which may cost me more in the end.
I hate to have this guy in a bind..so, I will probably offer to pay half...but, my only concern is that if i do that...they may never come back and then I have to live with it forever. OR pay somebody else to fix it, which may cost me more in the end.
wilson,
i have been stung many times from guys like this. In retrospect i wish i would have handled it differently and been a hardass. you feel sorry for people but the bottom line is it was not done correctly. i wouldn't pay any one anything until it is done right. why should you suffer for them not doing it correctly. if it was a BRO deal and you got a great deal, that is different.
now when i look at the stuff that took longer and cost more than it should have i still get pissed off.
gl
i have been stung many times from guys like this. In retrospect i wish i would have handled it differently and been a hardass. you feel sorry for people but the bottom line is it was not done correctly. i wouldn't pay any one anything until it is done right. why should you suffer for them not doing it correctly. if it was a BRO deal and you got a great deal, that is different.
now when i look at the stuff that took longer and cost more than it should have i still get pissed off.
gl
The thing about it that gets me riled up is that this pool guy shows up when I am at work and tells my wife that she needs to pay him. Bad news for him is that she is a little tougher to get along with than me
I guess the bottom line for him on this issue is that I am not living with the foot prints...I'll give him some money to pay the sub...but, it needs to be rectified to my liking. I think what really irks me is that this guy had the audacity to tell my wife "it doesn't look that bad"..............R U fawking kidding me? 1000 footprints all around the deck and it doesn't look that bad!
I guess the bottom line for him on this issue is that I am not living with the foot prints...I'll give him some money to pay the sub...but, it needs to be rectified to my liking. I think what really irks me is that this guy had the audacity to tell my wife "it doesn't look that bad"..............R U fawking kidding me? 1000 footprints all around the deck and it doesn't look that bad!
just don't do anything yourself to it before you have finished with contractor. and don't pay before you fully accept the work.
give them a time line when it must be done and if it is not let some other company finish it.
as mjolnir said, it is not you problem if they fawk up.
give them a time line when it must be done and if it is not let some other company finish it.
as mjolnir said, it is not you problem if they fawk up.
I would for sure take pictures for evidence, get some good closeups, maybe even mesasure one and they could track it back to the person.
RAYMOND said:
The problem was his own workers..they came back about 10 hours after brooming it and created the foot prints.
Have you ever seen something like this happen?
no not by workers , blend crete is make for this kind of problem
its bond to the concrete surface , its should be done soon , sooner the beter . it blend to the same color as the concrete ! can not be apply too thick . but you should have to go throught this bull shit!
new concrete is way better , than patching new concrete :cursin:
if you need help get my email from jack
its bond to the concrete surface , its should be done soon , sooner the beter . it blend to the same color as the concrete ! can not be apply too thick . but you should have to go throught this bull shit!
new concrete is way better , than patching new concrete :cursin:
if you need help get my email from jack
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HEY F-CK THIS HAVENT WE WASTED ENOUGH TIME ON THIS BULLSH-T JUST PAINT THE GOD DAM DECK AND LETS MOVE ON.IF YOU PAINT IT NOBODY WILL SEE THE FOOTPRINTS END OF STORY.
I WILLNEVER FORGET THE GREAT CASCADE ROBBERY OF 2003 THE DAY LENNY AND CASCADE SPORTSBOOK STOLE 660 DOLLARS FROM ME THANK GOD THESES THIEVES ARE OUT OF BUSINESS
I WILLNEVER FORGET THE GREAT CASCADE ROBBERY OF 2003 THE DAY LENNY AND CASCADE SPORTSBOOK STOLE 660 DOLLARS FROM ME
THANK GOD THESES THIEVES ARE OUT OF BUSINESS 